The New York Times said it best when speaking about the recent trend in genealogy, “At this point there’s probably no stopping the genealogy craze, which for a few decades now has been causing people to go rooting around in their familial past.” Here are the most viewed genealogy TV shows:

This PBS series started in 2012 with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard scholar and university professor helping his guests “discover their long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees.” Gates hosts this genealogy TV show, inviting guests such as Ben Affleck, Anderson Cooper and Stephen King to dive into their family history. The TV series strives to explore race, culture and identity through genealogy and genetics. This show is filmed on location and around the world.

This series premiered on NBC-TV in 2010 and continued broadcasting in 2013 on The Learning Channel (TLC). The series tracks celebrities as they travel through history and countryside to find great-great-great ancestors they didn’t know they had. The show instills in every episode one or two ground breaking discoveries.

Starting in 2013, this PBS genealogy TV series finds the average Joe or Jane on their journey to family history goldmines. As it is described on the their PBS website, Genealogy Roadshow is, “Part detective story, part emotional journey…(it) combines history and science to uncover fascinating stories of diverse Americans in and around St. Louis, Philadelphia and New Orleans.”

Starring genealogists Kenyatta D. Berry, Joshua Taylor and Mary Tedesco, this genealogy TV series uses what the anecdotes, heirlooms and myths about their heritage to discover and unite histories and people they never knew existed.

If you would like to follow them on Facebook or be considered to participate in their third season, you can apply here.

PBS first aired this series in 2003. Each episode begins with a person who has brought a case to the attention of the detectives. Each case is typically based on a specific object that is supposedly related in some way to an historical event. These objects are often family heirlooms or owned by private archives and museums.

Do you know of other genealogy TV shows?

If so, send us a message. We want to make sure our readers are aware of all the family history information that is out there.

I really enjoy the tv program “Generations Project” featured on Brigham Young University TV. I am uncertain when it started–I have seen repeat episodes dated 2011–what’s interesting is that not only are they on a journey similar to the format of Who Do You Think You Are, but add in personal growth, personal reflection, and the element of “walking in your ancestors shoes” in which the researcher engages in specific activities similar to their ancestor–a woman dug peat moss in Ireland, a man rang a bell in honor of his fallen brother, etc. Just a different approach to researching family history. Current programming is Saturday mornings 7am CST on the BYUTV channel DISH 9403.

“Finding Your Roots” has been cancelled, which makes me very sad. Out of all the genealogy TV shows, this was the best!!! I’ve seen them all, and the way Henry Lewis Gates shows famous people who they were related to, and their story, he also shows them what % they are. I was wondering about myself, and this TV show and Mr. Gates drew me to Ancestory.com and I found my roots and wherein he world I came from. I am very sad that the show has been cancelled. The genealogy shows that were kept are not half as interesting or informative.

I love the genealogy TV shows. Especially when they trace a person’s ancestry back to their homeland or ancestral homeland and find connections to known historical people including nobility and royalty. That’s what I’ve done on both my mother’s and father’s side through ancestry.com in conjunction with fabpedigree.com which helps me to find extensive lists of people in famous ancestral lines that connect in and corroborate a lot of ancestors I’ve already found in ancestry.com or fill in people that I can’t find. I wish i had the kind of help that people get on the ancestry TV shows though because I have a major pivotal ancestor on my father’s side that has connected an unbelievable amount of royalty and nobility to my line and I’m not sure now if this person belongs in my tree. Just cant afford research for Cornwall England.

“Who Do You Think You Are?” ( 2013 -present ) Season 9/2017 now on NBC
8 seasons, 61 episodes, Original Network TLC
Executive Producer: Lisa Kudrow
Series is about Celebrities finding their Family Ancestory Roots & History
Very interesting series about the Celeb’s we know through TV, Film, Sports, etc.

I watched a TV show not long ago that had a panel of people and facing about 40 people seated, bleacher style who appeared to have many different ethnic backgrounds. One by one they were asked if there were any ethnicities they didn’t like. Many had strong negative feelings about the citizens of certain countries. Each of them were asked to give a Q-tip swabbing from their mouth. The show continued by showing a pie chart of each person’s ethnic makeup. They filmed these individuals reaction to learning that their blood included DNA from those parts of the world. They were shocked! Then they were asked if they would like to visit one of those countries. It was facinating! I think that show should be aired in countries were prejudice and violence is creating the appearance of impending holocausts. Does anyone know the name of that show?

I am writing 2 books on my family and I need you help. My father is the late William H Walker from Ethel
Louisiana and his father was Jefferson Walker. Jefferson had two wives Nancy and Selena. One of them died.

My mother was the late Lillie Feltus Walker. Her mother was the late Lillie Pacquenette. They were related to the Winans. Lillie Pacquenette married Bishop James Feltus Sr.

I would love to be on your T.V. show. my address is 5999 Emerson Street Apt#420 Bladensburg Maryland 20710 my phone number is 240-383-2204

I have been loving Relative Race this season. Planing to check out Ancestry’s “Long Lost Relative” I think that is what it is called. I Do enjoy “Who Do You Think You Are,” but really enjoy the ones with normal people who are not famous.

Henry Louis Gates had two other shows before Finding Your Roots. He had African American lives and the faces of America. both of those were done in similar style to Finding Your Roots and were just as fascinating.